The Science of Stories ― Applications of the Narrative Policy Framework in Public Policy Analysis

The Science of Stories: Applications of the Narrative Policy Framework in Policy Analysis is the first comprehensive collection of Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) studies, a new framework that empirically examines the role of policy narratives in the policy process. The core theme of NPF, and hence the book, is that policy narratives shape policy processes through influences on public opinion, coalitional behavior, and cultures and institutions. The original elements of this volume that set it apart from other policy texts are (1) empirical accounts of the power of stories at different levels of analysis within the policy process; (2) studies examining both domestic and international policy arenas; and (3) an assessment of this book written Christopher Weible and Edella Schlager, two prominent policy process scholars who situate the NPF in the larger policy process literature. The Science of Stories is a desired text for graduate and undergraduate policy courses.

Michael D. Jones is an Assistant Professor at Oregon State's School of Public Policy. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science in 2010 from the University of Oklahoma and holds an MA and BS in Political Science, both granted from Idaho State University. His research focuses on the role and influence of narrative in public policy processes, outcomes, and science communication. His research has appeared in journals such as the Journal of Political Marketing, Political Psychology, Policy Studies Journal, Social Science Quarterly, and PS: Political Science and Politics.

Mark K. McBeth is a Professor in the Department of Political Science and Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Letters at Idaho State University. His research specializes in public policy and public administration. His work has appeared most recently in Policy Studies Journal, Environmental Politics, Risk Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy, World Medical & Health Policy, Policy Sciences, Politics & Policy, and Policy & Internet. He is also a co-author of Public Policy Praxis: A Case Approach to Policy and Analysis (Pearson Longman, 2009, second edition).

Elizabeth A. Shanahan is an Associate Professor of political science and public administration at Montana State University. She earned her Doctor of Arts, Master of Public Administration, and Master of Counseling from Idaho State University and her Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College. Her research interests center on individual and organization decision making and the role of policy narratives in influencing policy outcomes. Her publications have appeared in journals such as Policy Studies Journal, Policy Sciences, Policy and Internet, Policy & Politics, and Society and Natural Resources.